Riviere de Galets Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right, let’s have a look at what’s on offer for the next 16 days at Rivière de Galets. The forecast starts with a bit of a flat spell, but we’ve got some real heavy-hitters lining up further out, so hold tight.

The first few sessions, starting Tuesday the 25th of August, are pretty average. We’re looking at a 6 ft SSW swell at 13 seconds, but it’s a cross-shore wind from the east at 9 mph that’ll put a bit of a cross-chop on it. The combined wave energy is around 1475 (moderate), but it’s messy and not really worth getting out of bed for. Through Wednesday the 26th, the swell drops to 5 ft and the period shortens to 11-12 seconds, still with that messy cross-shore breeze. The water’s a touch warmer than normal at 76°, with an anomaly of 3°, so it’s pleasant enough, but the surf just isn’t there.

Now, here’s where it gets interesting. Thursday the 27th of August sees a big pulse of SSW groundswell hitting 10 ft, with a very long period of 18 seconds. The combined energy rockets to 5089-5671 (strong). However, the wind is a gentle cross-onshore from the SSE at 9 mph, so it’ll be a little choppy, but more importantly, this swell is properly big for this reef and point break. At 10 ft, that’s expert-only territory. If you’re a strong surfer and know this wave, Thursday morning is the standout – that’s the pick of the whole window. The crowd factor is listed as “sometimes”, so you might share it, but it won’t be packed.

Friday the 28th through Sunday the 30th of August is a write-off. Friday morning brings a 13 ft SSW swell at 16 seconds, but we’ve got a strong 25 mph cross-onshore wind from the SSE. The energy is massive (8232), but it’s just blown-out, messy, and dangerous. Saturday is the same story with 13 ft and 25 mph ESE winds. Sunday is still poor with 7-8 ft and strong cross-shore winds. It’s a complete no-go for paddle surfing – honestly, this looks more like a kite-surfing setup than anything else, if you have the gear.

Monday the 31st of August through Tuesday the 1st of September sees the swell direction swing around to the east at 10 ft, but the period is short at 9-10 seconds. The wind is still fresh and cross-shore at 19-22 mph, making it lumpy. This is too big for the break, and the conditions are just average.

After that, from Wednesday the 2nd of September through the rest of the first week, it’s all marginal or poor surf. The swell stays in the 7-10 ft range but with short-period east swell and poor wind. Not worth paddling out.

The second week is a bit more promising, but uncertain, as always. On Saturday the 5th of September, the afternoon shows a 4 ft SW swell with a very long period of 15 seconds, energy around 1451 (moderate), but the wind is still a moderate cross-shore at 16 mph, so it’s not clean.

Then, the real excitement comes from the 8th of September. Tuesday the 8th of September morning sees a monster 12 ft SSW swell at 14 seconds, then the afternoon jumps to 15 ft at 18 seconds! The combined energy hits 8936 and 12649 (very strong). It’s cross-shore winds at 16-19 mph, so the wind is okay, but at that size, this break is only for the most experienced, and it could be too big and powerful to surf. Wednesday the 9th of September is still big at 12 ft, with a period of 16 seconds, energy 5284 (strong). This is a long-range standout, but very heavy and expert-only.

So, as I see it, the absolute best bet in this outlook is Thursday the 27th of August morning. That 10 ft SSW groundswell at 18 seconds, with a gentle cross-onshore, is the one to pencil in if you’re an expert. The long period will make it line up beautifully on the reef and point, but it’ll be heavy and wait for the sets. After that, the 8th of September is also a big one to watch, but it’s further out and the forecast could change. For everyone else, it’s a long stretch of poor conditions until those big, expert-only swells roll in.

Rusty.

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